Replicating Nixdorf keys

[indrora]

After letting go of my last mech keeb (a deck compressed layout) I discovered Nixdorfs. after seeing them and kinda lusting over them, I thought "Wait, the keys are likely just as popular as the switches!"

I then thought "I have OpenSCAD, I can make them myself!"

This is what I have so far for 1u:



And a 1.5x:



Lined up all pretty:



full album

[Stabilized]

Those look pretty cool, but how are you going to produce a finished keyset? From what I understand it includes making entirely new moulds for each key, which will no doubt take a while to develop and fund!
Alternatively you could look at the Devlin Q-series keycaps, they remind a bit of the general look of the nixie keys:

[Wodan]

Haven't seen the nixie caps on a custom keyboard ever

[indrora]

Those look pretty cool, but how are you going to produce a finished keyset? From what I understand it includes making entirely new moulds for each key, which will no doubt take a while to develop and fund!
Alternatively you could look at the Devlin Q-series keycaps, they remind a bit of the general look of the nixie keys:

I saw them, but they look more DSA-like than Nixdorf's Softkey style. I think the big point behind Nixdorf's keys were they're almost the standard high-profiles but with the spherical wells.



As for production, I'd like to (eventually) just run a test set of SLA printed ones, then maybe pitch them to matt3o, etc? If enough people are interested, maybe a full run for fun?

[Stabilized]

Oh yeah, they do look a lot different. I just assumed they were essentially square sided DSA style caps. I haven't seen them being used on a custom board either, I would be really interested to what you end up making!

[indrora]

They're challenging because of the three (!) different heights: one for keys, one for the side/numpad and then another for the top special row. Getting my hands on originals seems like a fool's errand, too, because everyone seems to go for the switches, then ditch the caps.

[indrora]

Haven't seen the nixie caps on a custom keyboard ever

If I had a set of them, I'd totally be up for giving them a run on the Ergodox I'm going to build soon.

[shreebles]

I have a bag of caps from this keyboard, german ISO, yellowed and quite worn. If you're interested...?

[seebart]

Nice nixie keycap picture indrora!